Choosing a pathway for your child’s education can be a daunting task. If you decide that a private school may best, there are dozens of options. So how do you decide which is the best fit for your student?

Here are 25 questions to consider when choosing a school for your child, as suggested by staff at Mount St. Mary Academy, Access Schools, Little Rock Christian Academy and Second Presbyterian Preschool.

1. What is the student-to-teacher ratio, and in what ways are teachers accessible to students and their families outside of the traditional school day?

2. If applicable, what accommodations exist for students with special educational needs?

3. What type of academic scheduling is used in the school, block or traditional, and how might this impact my student's schedule or selection of classes each semester?

4. How are students performing on standardized tests and how are they doing beyond high school?

5.What extracurricular activities, such as sports, fine arts programs and clubs, are available?

6. How much homework is typical for each grade level?

7. What is the school's mission, motto or philosophy and do these align with our families values?

8. What measures does the school take to keep its campus safe from violence of any kind?

9. How does the school handle behavior issues?

10. Will I have the ability to directly contact my child’s teacher and how often are parent-teacher conferences?

11. Is the campus undergoing, or are there plans for it to undergo, any construction projects to improve and/or increase its facilities?

12. Does the learning environment encourage students work in groups as well as alone?

13. At the preschool level, is there an organized, clearly defined daily schedule?

14. What type of curriculum is used?

15. What percentage of the graduating class typically goes to college immediately after high school, and to what colleges are those graduates accepted?

16. Is there a good balance between academics, arts and athletics?

17. What type of financial aid assistance is offered to make a private education affordable for my family?

18. Does the school's curriculum offer an Advanced Placement, honors or concurrent credit program, or similar options, that challenge students to excel in their studies and/or earn college credit?

19. What sort of programming exists to help acclimate new students to the school?

20. Is there a college counselor on staff to help students with the college search and application process?

21. What type of honors and awards, or distinguished alumni, does the school boast having?

22. How is technology integrated into the classroom?

23. How many students are in each grade and in the entire school?

24. How does the school support students with different learning styles and differences?

25. Is the school a good fit for my child and can I truly picture my child here?